PZL Swidnik - exhibit new AW149

PZL Swidnik, part of the Leonardo group exhibited a newly built AW149 at the MSPO military trade fair in Kielce in September 2025. 

 

 

The helicopter was marked as 6711 in an drab olive colour scheme, but without a Polish military roundel.

This should be the third example of the AW149 to be built at PZL Swidnik ( the first being 6709 ) - eight earlier examples were delivered directly from Leonardo in Italy ( 6701-6708 ). The AW149 serves with the 25th Air Cavalry Brigade of the Polish Army ( Polish Land Forces ) based at Nowy Glinnik near Tomaszow Mazowieck. 

  

 

 

East German PZL M-18A Dromader - 1984

A photo from the Polish national archive shows M-18A Dromader DDR-TKB awaiting delivery at the PZL Mielec factory in 1984. The aircraft wears Interflug titles on the tail and shows the type as "Dromedar" ( German language ) on the engine cowling. 

 

 

This Dromader has factory serial number s/n 1Z013-22 - East Germany subsequently changed their registration prefix from DDR to DM so it would have become DM-TKB until the collapse of the Berlin Wall. In 1991 ( after German reunification ) it became D-FOHB. It was sold on to Australia becoming VH-XKK in 1996. It was later modified with a Garrett TPE-331 turbine engine at Trangie, New South Wales, completely changing the forward profile of the aircraft and became VH-TGY.

  

More info about the Turbine Dromader can be found on the web link below

 

https://aeropedia.com.au/content/pzl-m-18-dromader-turbine/   

 

Delivery - SP-EMJ

SP-EMJ a brand new Challenger 3500 ( s/n 21076 ) departed from Montreal Dorval, Canada on 26th August on delivery en route to Poland via Keflavik Iceland - it departed Keflavik on 27th August en route to Warsaw Modlin airport, Poland.

 

Bombardier aircraft are based at Montreal Dorval.  

News - Allstar PZL gliders

An update on a recent new glider delivery by Allstar PZL from their factory at Bieslko Biala in Poland.

Aeroklub Nowy Targ recently took delivery of a new SZD 54-2 Perkoz acrobatic training glider with the retro registration SP-2025(2) - s/n 542.A.25.044 (ie Perkoz #044 ), this was registered in May 2025 - photo below from the Lotnisko Nowy Targ social media.  

 

 

 The original SP-2025(1) was a SZD 12A Mucha 100A s/n F487 built in 1959.   

  

 

SP-LKD from LI-2 to TB-21 via 737

Summer 2025 - A recent new registration in June 2025 is SP-LKD a Socata TB-21 GT Trinidad, this is SP-LKD(3) previously OK-ABL with s/n 2197. 

 

 

The original SP-LKD was Li-2P s/n 23441501 registered in 1952 with rejestracja #462 and used by LOT until cancelled in 1966. 

LOT re-used the SP-LK_ registration range for their fleet of Boeing 737-55D in the 1990's - SP-LKD(2) being 737-55D s/n 27419 with rejestracja #3116 registered on 17th December 1992 - cancelled on 19th December 2011     

 

Wodno Samolotem - Cessna 206 OH-STR becomes SP

February 2025 - Wodno Samolotem a Polish company has announced their accquisition of a Cessna 206H Stationair - the aircraft has been imported from Finland and was previously OH-STR s/n 20608086.

 

 

It will be registered in Poland ( SP-.... ) and then used to offer pleasure flights from the Baltic coastal resort of Mielno near Koszalin from summer 2025. 

UPDATE 4th March 2025 - Wodno Samolotem shared an image of this Cessna 206 now registered as SP-SEA - this will be SP-SEA(3).  

 

SP-ECA PZL 104 Wilga 35A

Wilga SP-ECA s/n 62154 was built at PZL Okecie in Warsaw in 1972 and officially registerd on the 31st August 1972 as rejestracja #1382. It was one of many Wilga 35A aircraft delivered to the state run Polish Aeroklub ( AK ). The photo was taken at Inowroclaw airfield ( EPIN Inowroclaw-Kujawsko ) in August 1997 and shows SP-ECA without an engine. 

 

The registration was cancelled in February 2004 and SP-ECA sat withdrawn from use at Inowroclaw until the aircraft was sold on to Lithuania becoming LY-XCN.

New Pa-34 M350 - SP-WAC(4)

February 2025 - JB Aviation announced the recent delivery of a new build Piper Pa-46-350P M350. The M350 was delivered via Wroclaw ( from Prague ) on 28th Feb 2025 in a silver/blue colour scheme as SP-WAC(4) - s/n 4636856 ( ex N856SP )

 

This registration was previously been used as SP-WAC(1) Gawron 1967-1969, SP-WAC(2) Wilga 1983-1983 and SP-WAC(3) Turbo Kruk 1990-1995.

Historical - RWD 13 SP-MSZ

The Polish national archive has a huge online collection of historic images and among them are some photos of aircraft.  Pleased to see the image below of RWD 13 SP-MSZ taken in 1948. This aircraft has a lot of history - prior to WW2 it was registered as SP-BMY with s/n 231 operating as an air ambulance. During the war it escaped to Romania and is believed to have used YR-INT and serial "2", it was also fitted with a tail wheel ( originally had a tail skid ) and the engine was replaced with a DH Gipsy Major I.

 

It returned to Poland in 1947 and became SP-MSZ on 31st October 1947 ( Rejestracja #212 ) operated by the Foreign Ministry ( M.S. Zagran ie "MSZ" ) and was based at Warsaw Goclaw airfield. In 1951 the aircraft was used by defectors to flee to Sweden before it was returned to Poland.  

New BRM Bristell 916iS for Poland - SP-ADEX

Skydream the Polish agent for BRM aircraft have published a photo of a new Bristell 916iS under construction at the BRM factory  - the aircraft is painted in an attractive red/silver colour scheme with the ultralight registration SP-ADEX - it appears to be s/n 787

 

 

 

 

New aerobatic glider - I-45 Jay

February 2025 - The Instytut Lotnictwa ( IL ) has designed a new aerobatic glider called the I-45 Jay. The single seat mid wing glider had its first flight in early 2025 and is registered as SP-GUST. The Jay has been designed to bear loads of +10g / -8g. First flight took place in December 2024 at Czestochowa-Rudniki airfield.

.

 

 The IL will be looking to partner with a local manufacturer to produce this new aerobatic glider.

Sold and Exported - SP-FRL and SP-VEL

February 2025 - Plane4You report two recent export sales of SP registered aircraft - SP-FRL PZL 110 Koliber 150 a long time resident at Warsaw-Bemowo ( EPBC ) was sold in Feb 2025 to Germany. This early Koliber s/n 19003 was built in 1979 at PZL Okecie ( Warsaw ) as a Koliber 100 and originally registered as SP-ZKA in September 1979 and later re-registered as SP-FRL in February 1988. It was upgraded to a Koliber 150 in 1994. 

Photo below shows this Koliber as SP-ZKA in 1985 - photo via Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe

 

Also moving on in February 2025 is Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP-VEL - this was built in 2000 with s/n 172S8510 and originally delivered a N583SP. It was sold on to Poland becoming SP-KDI in April 2005 and later re-registered in 2022 as SP-VEL. In Feb 25 the aircraft was dismantled for shipping back to the USA.

 

New Ekolot KR-030 SW Topaz delivered

Gray Light Aviation of France have posted images of a brand new Ekolot KR-030 SW Topaz from the Ekolot factory at Krosno in Poland.

 

Photo courtesy Gray Light Aviation

The aircraft is finished in a white/blue colour scheme and shows the underwing Dept registration 89-XT and radio callsign F-JLBL in the cockpit. 

The aircraft is likely to be from production batch 030-13.... or 030-14....

Four new Bell 407 GXi for National Police

Four new Bell 407 GXi helicopters were registered in Poland during the summer of 2023 as SP-NYA ( s/n 56322 ), SP-NYB ( s/n 56341), SP-NYC ( s/n 56346 ) and SP-NYD ( s/n 56347 ).

Imported via local dealers JB Aviation at Obory Konstancin ( just south of Warsaw ) these four new build helicopters will be delivered to the Polish National Police, increasing their current fleet of three Bell 407 GXi to a total of seven. The current three examples operate with the Police as SN-80XP to SN-82XP ( side codes A-104 to A-106 ).

The four new helicopters will likely become SN-83XP to SN-86XP once delivered - to be confirmed.  

All four were delivered to the Police aviation unit at Warsaw Bemowo in mid December 2023 with side codes A-109, A-110, A-111 and A-112.

 

 

 SP-NYA and SP-NYB in flight - photo via JB Aviation

 

Link to more info and photos about the Polish Police helicopter fleet

 

 

New Bristell B23 - SP-ZBB

Skydream the Polish importers of BRM Aero aircraft released a photo showing a brand new BRM Aero Bristell B23 in final assembly at the BRM Aero factory in the Czech Republic registered as SP-ZBB. 

 

 

 Photo via Skydream

 

The Bristell B23 is the type certified version of the Bristell and has a MTOW of 750 kg. Other Bristell B23 aircraft already in Poland include SP-LLI(2), SP-PTZ and SP-WKY

LOT Antonov An-24 SP-LTU history

The Polish National Digital Archive has a vast library of historic items covering a wide range of subject matter and among them are some photos of Polish aircraft.

 

This photo shows LOT Antonov An-24 SP-LTU, the photo is dated 1975-1980 and taken at Warsaw Okecie airport. This An-24 was registered on 1st October 1974 by the GILC as aircraft #1914. It was built in 1970 and initially delivered to the Polish Air Force with serial 015 prior to becoming SP-LTU with LOT. It was named "Drawa" ( a Polish river ).  LOT received their first An-24 ( SP-LTA ) in 1966.

SP-LTU was destroyed in an accident on 26th March 1981 at Redzikowo near Slupsk.  

Koliber G-BVAI returns to Poland

PZL 110 Koliber 150 registration G-BVAI has just returned to Poland after a ferry flight by Plane4You from its home base in Ireland. 

This Koliber is S/N 03900040 ( ie Koliber #40 ) and was built at the PZL factory at Okecie in Warsaw and had its first flight on 29th June 1990. The aircraft was delivered new to a customer in Denmark as OY-CYJ in August 1990. In July 1993 this Koliber was imported into the UK taking up the registration G-BVAI and since then has had ten registered owners in the UK. By August 2018 it had flown 1,004 flight hours.

The aircraft is now with the Aeroklub at Swidnik having departed its home base of Birr, Ireland and routing via Waterford Ireland, Bristol UK, Biggin Hill UK, Antwerp Belgium, Kassel Germany, Berlin Schönhagen, Leszno Poland, Warsaw-Bemowo Poland and finally to Swidnik. G-BVAI was cancelled by the UK CAA on 20th October 2021.

The aircraft was registered in Poland on 30th May 2022 as SP-ASW(3).

Note that SP-ASW(1) was a CSS-13 biplane from 1954 to 1965 - SP-ASW(2) was a Mil Mi-2 from 1998 to 2011. 

 

Allstar SZD 55-2 Nexus with FES first flight

Glider manufacturer Allstar of Bielsko-Biała, Poland have flown the first example of their SZD 55 Nexus glider with a nose mounted FES sustainer motor. Designed in conjunction with Breunig Aerospace  ( Germany ) the modified Allstar SZD 55-2 Nexus e-motion glider is being tested at Giebelstadt airfield ( EDQG ) in Germany with the registration D-KSZD. The first flight took place on September 27th 2023.

 

The glider was initially aero-towed up to 1,000m before switching on the front electric sustainer ( FES ) engine. 

 

More details on the Allstar SZD website

 

 

First JK-2 Nanocopter in Australia

Summer 2023 - Fusioncopter have delivered the first examples of the ultralight JK-2 Nano gyrocopter to Australia. The first example is now registered locally as G-2023 and operates with Gyrocopter Flights Australia at York in Western Australia. 

Five examples of the JK-2 Nano were shipped to Australia in early 2023.

By August 2023 Fusioncopter had produced over thirty five Nano gyrocopters with many of these being exported to pilots in the USA.

More information via the Fusioncopter website below,

 

https://fusioncopter.eu/

Citation CJ1 - SP-IZU

A recent new biz-jet registration in Poland is SP-IZU - Cessna 525 Citation Jet 1 with S/N 525-0396 - this Citation was built in 2000 and was registered in Poland on 21st February 2023 ( ex EC-MPN ) with Bartolini Air, based at Lodz ( EPLL )

 

On April 27th 2023 Bartolini Air posted the following about Citation SP-IZU - "The third light jet in our commercial fleet - a Cessna Citation Jet 1 (reg. SP-IZU) with a stunning, fully refurbished interior - is airborne in its maiden flight as we speak! At the controls: Bartek Walas himself (Captain and C525 Type Rating Instructor) and Marc Meuleman - a Bartolini Air flight instructor in his first-ever commercial jet flight (beginning his line training as FO). The aircraft is repositioning from Modlin (EPMO) to Hamburg (EDDH) to pick up a passenger and take him to London Luton (EGGW)." 

 

 Photos courtesy Bartolini Air